Man Was Injured In A Quad Bike Accident

After the story about a Southwest 737 getting stuck in the mud on Long Island, NY, comes this story from down under. At about 1830 local time December 27, a New Zealand Life Flight team responded to a quad bike accident in the Northern Wairarapa. Life Flight responded with a Wellington Free Ambulance Paramedic onboard the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

On arrival, the crew found a Wairarapa man in his 60’s who was suffering from fractured ribs and possible internal injuries after his quad bike rolled on a muddy hill. The helicopter was able to land about 160 feet from the man, but the extremely slippery and muddy hill made reaching him difficult. Once he was assessed by the paramedic, the man was winched into the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and flown to Wellington Hospital.

“Patches of low cloud made reaching the area difficult for our pilot and the mud at the scene made it very difficult for the entire team on scene,” says Life Flight crewman Dave Greenberg. “The rescue itself took about 2.5 hours but it took well over 3 hours cleaning the inside of the helicopter."

The man was assessed and treated in the Emergency Department upon arrival and has been admitted to hospital.

The Life Flight Trust is a charity providing air rescue and air ambulance services. It operates the Wellington based Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a national air ambulance service. It relies on support from the public and sponsorship from partners such as Westpac to provide these services.

(Photo courtesy Life Flight)

FMI: www.lifeflight.org.nz